Re: SEUL: linux for the masses

As I see the big picture there are two issues. The first is, "Why Linux won't
survive if it doesn't take the desktop?" The second is, "Why a single GUI is
required for taking the desktop?" Without the desktop, Linux will probably end
up with something like 10% market share to 90% market share for Windows.
Everything else less than 1%. A 10% market share is only viable if there are a
number of players, none of which has an overwhelming market share. As long as
Windows has 90% of the market and Microsoft has billions of dollars coming in,
it is only a matter of time before they have everything. If Linux can't go
head to head with Windows 2000 for the desktop, you can probably forget it.
That is why I say, "1999 The Year Of Linux Make It Happen". This is the window
of opportunity. Why do I say that a single GUI is required to take the
desktop? First there are two pieces to the desktop, the corporate world and
the ordinary individual. The corporate world is running an assemble line. They
want every thing the same. The ordinary individual wants everything the same.
They don't care about all these neat things one can do. They just want to do
the job in the simplest possible way. Examples: Relative has 386 with a
relatively small hard drive. The hard drive fills up. Help the computer won't
let me do anything. They don't know how to delete a file and they don't want
to know how. Judy that works here, doesn't want to know anything about the
computer beyond what she needs to know to do her work. Is not interested and
does not care. Neighbor just got a computer. I suspect for his grandkids that
are always over. He is in his seventies. He got everything hooked together and
then came over an asked if I would look at it. I was impressed. Other than
having the phone line plugged into the ethernet port, everything was hooked up
right. He wanted to get on the internet. So we went through the setup. It was
interesting, Windows98 talks to you and tells you what to do. Move the mouse
on a hard surface until the arrow is in the box in the lower right corner. Now
press the button. This is called a click. Anyway so much for tonight.
1999 The Year Of Linux
Make It Happen
Bob